This Isn't A Library: New And Notable Releases To The Comics Direct Market

*****

Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's no-doubt largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.

I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. But if I were anywhere near a comic shop, I would make that decision according to the evidence at hand.

*****

SEP100166 BATMAN AND ROBIN #17 $2.99SEP100009 KULL THE HATE WITCH #1 (OF 4) TOM FLEMING CVR $3.50SEP100107 USAGI YOJIMBO #133 TAIKO PT 2 (OF 2) $3.50SEP100611 CAPTAIN AMERICA #612 $3.99SEP100500 WALKING DEAD #79 (MR) $2.99SEP100545 ASTONISHING THOR #1 (OF 5) $3.99SEP100646 THOR MIGHTY AVENGER #6 $2.99SEP100170 BATMAN ODYSSEY #5 (OF 13) $3.99
These are the serial comic books that caught my attention, and not always for the reason that I think one should buy them. The Kull comic is up there because I think at the time of my life I was buying barbarian comic books there's no way I would have bought one with the word "witch" in the title. The Batman books are kind of interesting: that's the first post-Grant Morrison issue of Batman And Robin -- yeah, that doesn't make sense to me, either -- and the latest issue of that weird Hairy-Chested Batman Adventures that Neal Adams is doing. It's somehow appropriate that another Thor comic comes out at the same time that the now-canceled Thor The Mighty Avenger has its first post-announcement issue hit the stands. Walking Dead, Captain America and Usagi Yojimbo are about as reliable a trio of series as exists right now in genre comics.

JUL100194 BOY COMMANDOS BY JOE SIMON AND JACK KIRBY HC $49.99
I have almost no familiarity with this seminal Golden Age work by the Simon/Kirby team, but they made comics that are almost always worth poring over.

SEP100479 SWORD COMPLETE COLL DLX HC (MR) $99.99
I greatly enjoyed this in serial comic book form. As the Luna Brothers didn't move right into another project, I assume they're taking time away or looking into solo work for a while.

AUG101177 7 BILLION NEEDLES GN VOL 02 $10.95
This is the one manga title that jumped out at me this week, although I could have completely overlooked something. This is Nobuaki Tadano's mainstream science-fiction thriller.

SEP100998 ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY HC #20 (MR) $23.95
Book of the week and on the short list for book of the year.

AUG101093 MISS DONT TOUCH ME GN VOL 01 (O/A) $14.95AUG101092 MISS DONT TOUCH ME GN VOL 02 $14.99
The adventures of a brothel-employee virgin's life, interactions and occasional adventures: the new one, book two, has less of a thriller feel to it than the first, I think to its credit.

JUN101002 SPECIAL EXITS HC $26.99
Joyce Farmer's new book about seeing to elderly parents. This book's appearance speaks well to comics' ability to rediscover certain voices and give their best work a publishing platform no matter when in life that best work comes. As long as there's some ability for a cartoonist to walk into a publisher with a big stack of page and walk out with a book contract, comics is going to be okay.

AUG100727 SALIMBA GN $9.99
Older work by the late writer Stephen Perry and the still very active Paul Chadwick, with part of the proceeds going to Hero Initiative.

*****

The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics, can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.

To find your local comic book store, check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back, try this.

The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.